The Last Hope/Chapter 14
Chapter description :Brokenstar's amber eyes gleam as he scans the circle of cats, asking if they are all here. Ivypool lifts her muzzle, recalling when Hawkfrost told her about the meeting the moment she woke up in the Dark Forest. She's representing ThunderClan, Applefur- who has proven herself as a warrior- is ShadowClan's representative, and Breezepelt, WindClan's representative, eyes Brokenstar warily. Beetlewhisker pads out from the trees, and the big brown tom greets him, his voice like ice. Ivypool tucks her tail around her paws even tighter, as the brown and white tabby takes his place next to Applefur. He tells the Dark Forest tom that he was at the Gathering, and couldn't sleep till after moon-high. Tigerstar pads around the edge of the circle, and murmurs to Beetlewhisker that he cannot be loyal to two Clans at once. Thistleclaw tears out a lump of slimy grass, and demands for the meeting to start. :Sparrowfeather sits down, her ears twitching, and asks what the meeting is about. Darkstripe, a dark gray tabby, flashes her a look, and dips his head to Brokenstar, apologizing for Sparrowfeather's questions. He crosses the circle, and blocks the warrior's view of the tabby she-cat, and mews to Brokenstar that he had to told her they came to praise their warriors. The massive dark tom only curls his lip, and Mapleshade comes forward this time. The tortoiseshell shoves Darkstripe away, and praises their recruits. She mentions they can swim, run, climb, and fight, though she looks at Beetlewhisker pointedly and says most have not learned how to kill. Applefur frowns, claiming that warriors don't kill, and Mapleshade whips around, hissing at the mottled she-cat. She criticizes the Clan methods of training, stating they aren't real warriors. :Mapleshade asks the ShadowClan cat why she sought them out then, and Applefur's voice is uncertain as she replies. Ivypool glares at the mottled she-cat, wishing for her to shut up. Hawkfrost's icy eyes glint in the dim light, and he says they realized she needed better training, and Mapleshade purrs, twitching her whiskers. Her amber gaze shifts to Breezepelt, then Beetlewhisker, and Ivypool. The ThunderClan warrior forces her legs still, and thanks the tortoiseshell for her training, hoping she sounds grateful. Mapleshade tells Ivypool she is proud of her progress, and Brokenstar stalks forward. Her heart quickens at the sight of him, noticing how the muscles ripple like waves beneath his fur, like he is ready for battle. :The former ShadowClan leader waves Mapleshade away with his tail, telling her that pride isn't important: power is. Breezepelt exclaims he is ready for anything, puffing out his chest, and Brokenstar twitches his whiskers. The massive tabby inquires that there's difficult times ahead, but their loyalty to him will make them desire victory. Ivypool leans forward, and questions what they'll have victory over, as she needs to know what they are planning. Brokenstar swings his head around, amber eyes like a sun, and the silver and white she-cat has to narrow her eyes. He growls at her, saying their courage will be tested, but they will be ready. :Beetlewhisker's eyes are puzzled as he stretches his muzzle forward, and asks who their enemies are. Mapleshade blinks at him, asking if his Clanmates ever doubted him, or Mistystar acted like a mouse-heart, siding with the weak and punishing the strong. The tortoiseshell calls RiverClan weak and feeble creatures. Beetlewhisker bristles, retorting to her that Mistystar is noble, and his Clanmates aren't weak or feeble either. Tigerstar's eyes flash, claiming the weak should be left alone. The brown and white tabby blinks, telling Tigerstar his method is against the warrior code. Brokenstar lowers his head, and speaks quietly, saying the warrior code makes him weak. Beetlewhisker snaps at him, and declares to the big tom that he'll never make him despise the warrior code. Taking a step toward Brokenstar, he tells him RiverClan thinks they're being targeted by rogues because of their visits. His voice softens, and he expresses his graditude, because the Dark Forest made him a strong warrior, but he cannot stay. He turns, padding off. The RiverClan tom shoulders his way past Hawkfrost and Applefur, and Ivypool's paws tremble. :Brokenstar flattens his ears, telling Beetlewhisker he can't leave unless he says so. Ivypool silently begs for the brown tabby to run, and not look back, but Beetlewhisker glances over his shoulder, meowing that Brokenstar must've known he would leave sometime. Ivypool watches as the Dark Forest tom lashes his tail, asking Beetlewhisker if he is dumb, amber gaze menacing. As Beetlewhisker retorts, Brokenstar shoots from the circle, blocking the tabby warrior's path. Ivypool starts to move, but Thistleclaw stops her, warning her out of it. Applefur's tail trembles, and she tells Beetlewhisker not to leave, since he has friends here. Even though her mew is straining to be cheerful, Ivypool can see fear darkening her green gaze. Beetlewhisker thanks the ShadowClan warrior, but says it is his time to leave. :Brokenstar's voice raises from a low growl to a shriek, and he rears up, then dives right for Beetlewhisker. The RiverClan cat raises his paws to defend him, but is sent staggering as Brokenstar swipes at him, and blood spurts from his nose. He wails for StarClan to save him, and his opponent sneers at him, before biting Beetlewhisker's neck. Brokenstar hauls the tom off his paws, into the air, until a crack splits the air. Ivypool watches, feeling sick, as the dark tabby releases the now limp body, and lets it fall to the ground. Brokenstar challenges Applefur if she'd like to return to her Clan. The mottled she-cat shifts her paws nervously, and doesn't say yes. Ivypool presses against her, to reassure her, and hopes the Clan warriors understand that the Dark Forest is evil now. Brokenstar turns to Breezepelt; the black tom is peering at Beetlewhisker's body, eyes narrow. The vicious tom growls quietly at the WindClan cat, asking if he heard him, and Breezepelt lifts his head. He announces his Clan cares too much for the weak and old, and that if Brokenstar led them, they'd never have to deal with that again. :Ivypool's chest tightens, wondering how the black tom could sympathize with them. She watches as Brokenstar steps over Beetlewhisker's body, and strides back into the circle, holding her ground, despite wanting to run far away. The big Dark Forest warrior threatens the Clan cats, spitting at Applefur, causing the she-cat to swallow. He orders them to say nothing, because if he hears any of his recruits spreading lies or rumors, they will suffer. Brokenstar turns away, pushing Tigerstar and Hawkfrost aside as he disappears into the shadows, growling for them to train his warriors. Ivypool feels Tigerstar's gaze pierce her through the gloom, and she meets his amber stare. The silver and white she-cat vows that her warriors are ready, and they will kill all the Clan cats beside the lake. She ignores Applefur's alarm, though she silently promises she isn't evil. Hawkfrost nods to her, eyes glowing, and follows after Tigerstar. But before he can leave, he kicks Beetlewhisker's body, saying he never trusted the tom after all. Characters Major *Ivypool Minor *Applefur *Breezepelt *Beetlewhisker *Tigerstar *Hawkfrost *Thistleclaw *Darkstripe *Mapleshade }} Mentioned }} Errors *Sparrowfeather is mentioned as a tom. Important events Deaths *Beetlewhisker - Killed by Brokenstar. Notes and references Category:Chapter subpages Category:Omen of the Stars arc Category:The Last Hope